Features and signs of a fairy tale. Signs of a fairy tale

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Fairy tales are the most popular type of folklore, they create an amazing artistic world, which reveals all the possibilities of this genre in full. When we say “fairy tale”, we often mean a magical story that fascinates children from a very young age. How does she captivate her listeners/readers? Let's try to understand this and thus highlight the main features of a fairy tale.

Fiction is the main feature

The most important feature of a fairy tale is that its world and all events are based solely on fiction. Listing the signs of a fairy tale, one should start with the ability to tear the reader away from everyday life and transfer them to a fictional world that has no resemblance to the real one. Because in the fairy-tale world the boundaries of space and time are erased, and there are many examples of this: the thirtieth state, which is located far away, or the countdown of time, which is calculated in the magic system asconcepts of how much and how little.

Fabulous time is a circle that closes on itself. The fairy tale begins in a magical world, a space where the laws of physics familiar to us do not apply and time is calculated according to completely different rules. Take, for example, the most common and favorite technique used in fairy tales - threefold repetition (which, in terms of importance, occupies a leading place in the classification of “signs of a fairy tale”). It is usually used at the very beginning of fairy tale events and allows you to slow down the development of actions. The finale, on the contrary, accelerates, by the way, it is always happy and often ends with a wedding.

A fascinating story

What other signs of a fairy tale can be distinguished? The plot of the fairy tale is fascinating and very complex. It consists of episodes that are directly related to the main character and his task. The hero receives a task of a high level of difficulty, for which he is promised to be showered with gold, marry a princess, or fulfill some wish. Tasks can range from finding and obtaining an exotic item to eliminating some super-strong and powerful creature. And here the most interesting thing begins in the fairy tale - the journey, which is also traditionally included in the list of "signs of a fairy tale".

Time to hit the road

The main character travels to distant and unexplored lands and overcomes various obstacles and difficulties along the way. On a difficult journey, he wins the hearts of his comrades with good deeds, who promisehelp him in his difficult task. Together, thanks to cunning, they defeat ill-wishers, who are encountered quite a lot on the way to the main goal.

By the way, characters in fairy tales are divided into two groups. The main character enters one of them along with his assistants, and the other includes the assistants of the main enemy and himself. Initially, the enemy is much stronger than the main character, and as events unfold, his advantage may also increase. But the main character always learns about the enemy's weak point and how to defeat him.

Surprise effect

But with the possibilities of the protagonist, things are different: at first they are significantly underestimated. The signs of a fairy tale include the obligatory presence of central and secondary characters, their characteristics. Nicknames of the protagonist can speak of weak mental abilities, his social status sometimes also leaves much to be desired. Thus, the effect of surprise is achieved.

When all the side characters - strong, smart and skillful - fail to complete a difficult task for which a reward is due, then the main character appears, who, as it seems, cannot cope even more. But still they give him a chance not to discriminate. This turn of events can be classified as "signs of a folk tale."

Due to his courage and good deeds during the journey, the main character receives various unique magic items or wins friends whom he saves from inevitable death. They often becometalking animals that later help with tasks with their ideas or participate in actions themselves.

Miracles in fairy tales are simply necessary. With their help, various phenomena can be explained, such as transformations into different creatures, instantaneous movements over any distance, and the victory of a weak positive hero over a strong negative one. All of the above can be described as signs of a folk tale.

Moral implication

The fairy tale gives lessons and develops the right moral and ethical values. The actions of the protagonist show what a good person should be: he does noble deeds and does not expect any reward for them at all. Thus, the fairy tale guides the right way of life and sets a positive example for the little reader. Good must definitely defeat evil, justice must prevail - the main idea of fairy tales.

All this is described in a fairy tale in a very simple, but very colorful and poetic language. The storytelling style in many of the tales is very similar, but each one is unique and interesting.

Poetics of magic

To summarize: what signs of a fairy tale have we found? It has a special composition; it contains such a technique as a threefold repetition; the fairy tale has unusual, magical plots in which miraculous transformations often occur; it also has negative and positive characters, and good always triumphs over evil.

Selectthe signs of a fairy tale are not at all difficult - this is the obligatory inclusion in the content of a certain setting for fiction, which will determine the poetics of the fairy tale. In it, there are two worlds in parallel - the real and the magical, into which the hero enters from the real. In a fairy tale, the motive of a journey can be traced, during which the main character has to go through many trials and overcome obstacles. Also in a fairy tale, the hero is often helped by some magical assistant or accompanies him to his cherished goal. Often, the main character is given various magical items as a gift for doing a good deed.